Tanker Trailer Repairs and Hatch Installation Accident Investigation Report

Incident Description

George and Don gathered their tools to prepare the repairs and installation of hatches on top of a tanker trailer. They put on their fire retardant coveralls hard hats and safety glasses, their safety boots were already on. The top of the tanker trailer sits 5 meters above the ground, requiring them to climb the ladder to the top of the trailer. Part of the repairs and replacement of hatch covers requires applying silicone to rubber gaskets to keep them from drying out. George started on one hatch, while Don worked on a second. From the start of their shift, both men were talking about the start of the NHL season, specifically how the Edmonton Oilers need to find players that can play with Conner McDavid, or they will miss the playoffs again. Don a big Toronto Maple Leafs fan was talking about how John Travers should be named the captain. As Don stated this was the year that the Leafs would win the Cup. George turned and told him he was crazy. The hatch George was working on fell into position crushing his hand. Don immediately, called for help, an ambulance was called, and George was rushed to the hospital. While George did not lose his hand he did lose the movement of three of his fingers. Task using the above narrative, and the provided accident report, conduct an investigation into the incident. Was it preventable? Why? You need to identify the root cause of the incident. You need to make recommendations to management on what failed and what changes should be made to prevent the accident. When you investigate an accident, there will be a lot of information that is missing, it requires the investigator to ask questions, make observations and fill in the blanks. So the above scenario is purposely vague. For this exercise, if you ask a question, i.e. were they wearing safety boots? The scenario states they were. So the answer is yes. If you ask if they were wearing high visibility vests? The scenario does not mention it so therefore the answer is no. While it is extremely important that the root cause of the incident be investigated, it is also important to address other potential unsafe acts related to an incident. So you need to include in your report not just what could have prevented the injury, but, is there any other practises that need to change. Keep in mind that there are many contributing factors to the incident. Your job is to identify the root cause. Remember there are three areas of defence. Mechanical/Engineered, (a railing that prevents someone falling off the side of a building, anti-slip strips on stairways), Procedures ( clearing of ice or snow within 1 hour of a snowfall, smoking in designated areas only), and Personal Protective Equipment PPE ( safety glasses, fire retardant coveralls). Engineered solutions offer the best protection, PPE is the lowest. Use the attached form to fill out the investigation. For things like company info NLC Trucking, and the address is the colleges. If you need extra space please provide a separate file.